brookcove
Posted : 2/2/2007 3:07:23 PM
And Ben's birthday is today, too! A year ago we were caught up in our own little problems and I totally missed Ben turning the big 1-0. His first birthday, nine years before, was spent at a herding clinic - the very first time we were on sheep - I'll never forget how happy he was. I have a great picture of him sitting outside the training pen with this big goofy grin on his face and all the big dreams that were in my heart.
Time passed and Ben got the worst of my ineptness at training, and our lack of ability to find help, and my getting too caught up in rescue, and several bouts of illness of course, and several family disasters. Until last summer he had practically fallen by the wayside - then we moved and Ben stepped up and showed what he was made of - all sheepdog with a ten year old heart that was ready for anything.
But when he disappeared earlier this week, it wasn't the wonderful things he did for the farm last year I thought of - it was all the years before when Ben was just Ben. I'm so grateful now that he's here for his eleventh birthday. Dogs have no concept, I don't think, of "special" days and special treats are just jackpots that fall from the sky unless you go out of your way to charge a particular event. But Ben got homeade organic chili for breakfast (he loves spicy food) and he's getting a yummy meatloaf tonight - the "people" are getting meatloaf but none of the other dogs are, so that will make it special in a way, I imagine.